Process and apparatus for cleaning liquid mercury and the like



Dec. 23, 1930. B. I .NEWKIRK 1,786,312

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING LIQUID MERCURY AND THE LIKE FiledDec, .14. 1927 11m/enter:- BUTJG l... Nev/kirk, bg Mm His GGOTTweLJf lllPatented Dec. 23, 19310` 1 am ma COMPANY, A CORPORATION 'OF YORK PRooEssAND APPARATUS Foa CLEANING LIQUIDMERQU'RY AND THELIKN p fp Applicationmea December-14, iazr': seriar No; 240,061. f

My invention relates to the removal from a liquid, of foreign matterconsisting of minute particles'not Wet by the liquid. j By minuteparticles I mean particles so small that for the most part they cannotbe resolved into separate particles:v by viewing through a microscopehaving a magnification of .the order of two or three hundred diameters.

One situation Where conditions requiring removal of such particles aremet with, is in connection With the mercury vapor process for thegeneration of power.V In this proc ess, erosion of the metal surfacessometimes occurs Where a blast of mercury vapor, car- Y 1 r inorolobules of li uidmercur strikes a y C3 b 3 metal surface;V The metal soremoved is steel y or iron oxide in the form of minute particles of theorder referred to above. They constitute a troublesome impurity in theliquid mercury which it is desirable-to remove. InV

this connection, it is l pointed out .that such particles cannot beremoved by mechanical filtering in the ordinary Way because theparticles are too fine, nor can they be separated out in a gravityseparator or cleaner because they do not separate from the liquidmercury by gravity.

I have discovered that such minute particles have a tendency to vform askin or surface covering over an exposed mercury surface and that ifsuch surface is brought into contact with a surface not Wet by mercuryliquid, such skin Will be separated from the mercury liquid and Willcling to the surface.

The skin comprises liquid mercury covered partly in section aV seriesofV compartments filled 'steeln balls, gravel stones, Wire screen, orsimilar bodies through which the mercury flows-."In/

a compartment containing steel `balls; for

example, the balls are notwetbythe mer cury and. consequently' thel'mercury A`surrounds each ball Withv a skin of surface-mer-`cury,1wliich skin .is capable of holding par-` ticles oftheforeignmatter described above.

I have found balls having a diameterlofA the order of 1A, satisfactory.Y

It is known, of course, that a filter bed comprising steel balls, gravelstones orthe TENT GFFICE like'Wi-ll serve as a `mechanical separator ori strainer forfrelatively large particles, it

being known', for example, to filterjvvater inly this Way.l 'Myinvention comprisesfthedis-l covery that. a filter bed ofthe typevdescribed Willrernove from liquid mercury minute particles of amiscroscopic character. Y In this connection, Vit isto be noted thatmylsep? larator does notoperate'- as a mechanical separator in theordinary sense, theparticles to be separated out being so small thatthey could-not-be so separated. Y

, i In the drawing, Fig. l is a` side elevation,

of a modication..

VReferring tothe drawing, Fig.V 1, 3 indicates a casing divided intocompartments 4, 5, 6 Vand 7 by three partition yWalls 8, 9

of a structure embodying V my invention, and F 1g; 2 1s a similar' vienTand 10. In the upper portions'of Walls 8 and 10v are passagesll and inthe lovver portion of Wall 9 is a passage or'pas'sages 12. 13 indicatesa conduit'throughwhich the liquid enters compartment 4L' and 14 indicates a conduit through Which ther liquid flows from compartment 7 Inthe compartments are relatively small bodies 15 such as steel balls,gravel stones or the like. Such bodies float in mercury. To hold themdown I provide a Wire screen 16 located Ajust belo-W the plane of theloweredges ofV passages 11.V 17 Vindicates the liquidin the separator.VIts level therein is defined by conduit 14 which extends to a pointadjacent to the top of casing 3 and just above the plane of the upperedges of passages 11. By this means each of the chambers 4, 5, 6 and 7is converted into a flotation chamber, the liquid being in each instancedrawn off from the chamber at a point below the level of liquid in thechamber. The path of flow of the liquid through the chambers isindicated by the arrows.

In carrying out my invention, I may use only a single compartment.Preferably, however, I utilize a plurality of compartments connected inseries as shown so as to provide flotation chambers for I have foundthat the material which collects on the surfaces of the separator maybreak away eventually and float to the surface of the liquid.

The modification shown in Fig. 2 is similar to that shown in Fig. 1except that the balls or gravel stones have been replaced by Wovenscreens 18 placed on edge.

IVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is:

1. The method of separating from a liquid minute particles not Wet bythe liquid Which comprises passing the liquid through a filter bedconsisting of material not Wet by the i liquid and which serves todivide the liquid "Lp bed consisting of small bodies not Wet by theliquid and which serves to divide the liquid so as to develop a largeliquid surface.

3. The method of separating from liquid mercury minute particles not Wetby mercury Which comprises passing the liquid mercury through a filterbed consisting of small bodies not Wet by the liquid and which serves todivide the liquid so as to develop a large liquid surface.

4. rIhe method of separating from liquid mercury minute particles notWet by mercury which comprises passing the liquid inercury through afilter bed consisting of small bodies not Wet by the liquid mercury.

5. Apparatus for cleaning liquid mercury consisting of a filter bedformed of small bodies not Wet by liquid mercury and through which themercury flows, and conduits for conveying liquid mercury to and from thefilter bed.

6. Apparatus for cleaning liquid mercury consisting of a plurality offilter beds through which the liquid mercury flows in series, eachfilter bed being formed of small bodies not Wet by liquid mercury, andconduits for conveying liquid mercury to and from the filter beds.

7. The method of separating minute particles from liquid mercury, whichcomprises passing liquid mercury through a filter bed consisting ofsmall bodies not Wet by the liquid mercury and Which serve to divide theliquid so as to develop a large liquid surface.

8. The method of separating minute particles from liquid mercury, Whichconsists A,

in dividing the liquid so as to develop a large liquid surface wherebythe minute

